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Bike Bedlam: NYPD Goes After Bad Bicyclists

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NEW YORK (CBS 2) — You’ve seen them whizzing by, taking over the roads and the sidewalks, some of them even steering around traffic laws and terrorizing pedestrians: Bicyclists going rogue.

But not for long, as the NYPD is now cracking down on these bad bicyclists.

As New York City goes green, the city has seen an influx of those who choose a bicycle as their mode of transportation. While it may be good for the environment, it’s not so for New York City residents. Between relatively new bikers who don’t know the rules and experienced riders who just flagrantly ignore them, biking has become the number one quality of life concern in some parts of New York City.

“You do think you can go as quick as possible on a bike in New York City,” said Lower East Side resident Nitin Rai. “You can just weave through the traffic and zip around.”

Between July and August, the city issued 360 summonses – over 100 more than the month before – for reckless offenses from nearly mowing down pedestrians, to blowing off traffic signals.

“I think it’s very dangerous,” said Mamadou Ndiaya, who works in Manhattan. “I see them, almost every day, knockouts.”

Despite efforts by police to go tough on wild bikers, some residents say it’s not enough.

“I make a wrong turn [in a car] and I get a $90 ticket and points on my license,” said resident Kate Halpern. “Nothing’s happening to these guys.”

Trina Tuxen says she is a responsible biker, and rides into Manhatten every day from Williamsburg. But she does admit she’s never bothered to learn the rules of the road.

“I look at the other bicyclists,” she said. “And do whatever they do.”

Roughly 14 miles of Manhattan have designated bike lanes, but even on streets where they are clearly marked, bikers don’t always use them.